They attribute the increase to a significant increase in construction inflation, the increased age of the campus buildings, and the continued underfunding of annual maintenance needs.

“It’s no surprise that this problem continues to grow,” Donna Shank of Liberal, the Chair of the Kansas Board of Regents, said in a statement. “While the 2007 legislation provided an important down-payment, itfell significantly short of the kind of comprehensive solution thatwould adequately and ultimately address this pressing issue. That being said, the legislation did give us an opportunity to begin work on the most vital maintenance projects and we’ve already seen positiveresults.”

Kansas lawmakers approved a plan in 2007 to provide the universities $134 million over five years for maintenance projects. It also provided tax credits to encourage donations for such projects.

But the current budget crunch means continued funding is in limbo.

“The progress made to date will all be for naught if deferred maintenance funding is cut this legislative session; the importantinvestment made to date must be protected and the legislative promisemust be kept,” Shank said. “The challenge for us is to balance thecurrent economic reality with the need to protect the safety of ourstudents.”

The maintenance backlog on the state university campuses is asfollows:

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